My Daughter Has a Snake Tattoo
by Adaline Teckla
Summary: Maggie Scully gets more than she bargened for when she goes over to Danas to water her plants.


Maggie Scullys POV:

"Where are my blasted batteries?" I really want to practice while I'm over at Danas. Grabbing my foldable footstool from the hallway closet I make my way over to the last cabinet. If they're not here I'm just buying more on the way. Now at eye level with the top shelf, I scan through the variety of items until I find what I'm looking for, the knocked over package of batteries. Climbing down the three steps I make my way back toward my Walkman, popping open the back and placing the new batteries in. Making sure to grab my headphones I make my way out of the house and down to the car. Dana has asked me to stop by her place every few days to water her variety of plants and collect her mail while she goes on a mandatory vacation. I'm glad the FBI is making her take a vacation this week, if it was up to my daughter she would keep working without a break year round, something her father and I thought would make her a great Doctor, her workaholic lifestyle proving to the benefit of her patients. Dana needs a break now more than ever, her kidnapping for four weeks and the many hostage situations she's had to endure and now just beating her cancer.. its had to have been damaging, both mentally and physically.

Sliding into the driver's seat I rummage through my purse for the cassette tape, "Learning French Part One." Finding it I pop it into the cars player as I turn onto the road. In a little over six months I'm going on vacation to France, Danas father and I had always dreamed of going together and spending a few months in that beautiful country. Now I am to be going alone, but not without taking the memory of my darling husband with me. I want to be prepared as possible, and this is the best start, thankfully the local library had audio lessons I could check out.

"Let's start this next session with a basic sentence, "A boy and a cat", is what we will be saying. "In garçon et un chat." I repeat the words rustily, but gain improvement as I say it a few more times.

Thirty minuets later I pull up to Danas apartment building, putting the cassette into my Walkman I put on my headphones and head up the entrance stairs. After grabbing my daughters mail for the day I head into the elevator and punch in her floors number. Shuffling through my keys I finally find Danas key as I arrive at her door, unlocking it I enter and flip on her lights, tossing my car keys onto the small table next to her door. Entering her kitchen I mutter about the ridiculous pronunciation of Pear, where are they getting the 't' sound from? Maybe I should just hire an interpreter to tag along with me and translate everything for me. Grabbing the watering can from under the kitchen sink I fill it with water and make my way around her home, stopping every so often to water the spread out plants. Laughing to myself about how the French pronounce Egg I almost forget about the plants in Danas bedroom. Weaving my way toward the back of her apartment I reach Danas bedroom door, as I'm approaching the door my Walkman clicks, signaling me to flip to the B side of the tape, my ears jarred at the sudden silence. As I'm turning the doorknob my ears finally register what exactly it is I am suddenly hearing as I enter her room, the sound of pleasurable moans and groans, are coming from her room, not the neighbors! Before I can stop myself and turn around I see something I never wanted to see in my life, as much as I want to close them, my eyes widen to the scene before them. The pale naked backside of my daughter is now moving down a climatic moan escaping her lips, she's atop of someone and it is evident of what is happening before my eyes. The three of us all notice each other at the same time, and we all begin screaming, Dana begins hastily trying, and failing, to cover herself shouting " Mom?! What the hell, get out!"

Turning around I slam the door and run out of the apartment, making my way down her hallway and to the stairway. There is no way that just happened! I did not just see what I think I saw! Why is she still home?! She's supposed to be in Hawaii right now visiting her aunt! Stopping dead in my tracts I realize who the man she was on top of is, her partner Fox! I knew they were close but not that... close.

Arriving at my car I come to the conclusion I will be performing a spin cycle of boiling water and bleach on my eyes to cleanse them of what they just witnessed. As I grab ahold of my door handle a cool dread comes over me, my car keys! I didn't grab them on my way out.

"Crap!" I mutter. What am I supposed to do now? I can't exactly go up there and get them back, he might still be up there and that's not a situation I want to have to be apart of. Scanning my surroundings I see the park bench just up the road a ways. Taking a gamble I decide to wait Moulder out, I highly doubt he would be staying at her house after what just happened. Shaking my head I rest my elbows on my knees and put my face in my hands. I must have gotten the dates wrong, marked the wrong week on my calendar. About 15 minuets later I see Fox walk out of Danas apartment building and get it his car. Taking a deep breath, I head back towards Danas building.

Wanting to kill as much time as possible I slowly climb the stairs, when I reach Danas floor I stand in front of her floor door, slowly banging my head against the door. "Oh Lord, please give me strength to make it through these next few minuets." I mutter to myself. Walking out of the stairwell I arrive at Danas apartment all too quickly.

Danas POV

Leaving my bedroom I finish tying together my white fluffy robe, this robe has been through so many memories with me, I was wearing it when I decided to join the FBI, it was a continual comfort to me as I was fighting my cancer, it growing bigger on me as each day went by, and now, it will be with me as I go through the most embarrassing moment of my life. I can't believe what just happened happened. Knowing my mother I bet she left something important here on her way rushing out of my apartment. Looking around my living room I see she did, in fact, leave her keys here. "Perfect." I mutter to myself. Walking to my standing cupboard I pull out some scented candles. I'm sure the scent of Mulder and I has traveled into the rest of the house from when he opened the bedroom door, and I would rather not look at her while the smell of sex is in the air. It's going to be hard enough while I still have his body on my mind. As I'm lighting the last candle I hear three rapid knocks on my door, going over and looking through the peep hole I see my mother standing at my door, eyes looking at the floor. Resting my head momentarily on the door I take a deep breath and then open it, leaving the chain link in place. "So, you can knock now?" I sharply spit at her.

"Dana I'm so sorry, will you please let me in? I'd like to explain myself."

Sighing I close the door and let her in. "You have three minuets."

"I must have marked my calendar wrong Dana, I thought you were going to be on vacation this week."

"Must have mom? You definitely marked it wrong, I can't believe you, I told you three separate times when I was going to be leaving. Great Aunt Abby is right, you definitely do have the worst memory."

"Look Dana, I don't know what else I can tell you, I'm sorry I interrupted you and Fox. It won't happen again."

"H- how did you not hear us?" I ask, hating myself for the slight blush I feel creeping up my neck and face. I'm thirty years old for heaven's sakes.

"I had my headphones on, practicing French on my Walkman."

"French? Why are you learning French?"

"I'm going to go to France. Your Father and I always wanted to vacation there together and... the past few years have taught me that there's no time like the present. Your illness reminded me of that, who knows how much longer I have. I should do it when I'm able.

"Oh." Is all I say, allowing the conversation to fall into awkwardness.

"So... when did you get your tattoo?"

Hearing this my eyes bug out of my head. I often forget about my tattoo, since I don't see it often I sometimes forget its even there. Knowing how my mother feels about tattoos (and one night stands for that matter) I proceed with caution.

"I got it not quite a year ago wi- with a friend when I was on a solo case in Pennsylvania."

"Why did you choose a snake? You hate snakes, why didn't you tell me about it?"

"I don't know, it just spoke to me... do we really have to talk about this now?"

"No, I suppose not, one more question though. How long have you and Moulder been... together?"

"Not long, we only recently crossed this threshold."

"You no how I feel about immorality, how it is a sin, but.. I'm glad someone is taking care of you. God knows I remember how hard it was not to jump your fathers bones before we were married. I took lots of cold showers back then."

Eyes bulging out of my skull I start to push my mother towards the door.

"Hhhoowwkay mom I think it's time for you to go now, I have to be up early in the morning. See you later." I say as I close the door behind her.


End file.
